1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to commercial seating and more particularly relates to bench-type seating which accommodates a number of occupants and which may be retracted or folded to a compact, stored, out-of-the-way position against a supporting surface such as a wall occupying only a small floor area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Seating such as foldable or retractable bleachers or bench seating for use in auditoriums, gymnasiums and other public facilities are well known. Seating of this type generally must be collapsed and transported to a separate storage area and when it is desired to be used, it must be transported to the use-area, unfolded and erected. This operation is very time-consuming and labor intensive and further requires substantial storage area for the seating when the seating is not erected in a position of use.
Also found in the prior art are various types of folding seating assemblies which are mounted on a wall or vertical support system and which are capable of being collapsed in a position against a wall or within a pocket in the wall so as to be out of the way when not in use. The following patents are representative of such foldable seating.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,784,390 shows a simple chair or seat which is foldable and is adapted for use in dining alcoves and similar locations which has a pivotal connection between the back and the seat portions so that the seat portion can be swung downwardly to assume a position in line with the back of the chair when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,151 shows a wall-hung, fold-down seat and seat stowage support structure for institutional use such as hospitals, prisons and jails. The device eliminates the use of an angle brace for supporting the seat. The seat is contained in a box-like structure. The seat is retained in its vertical or stowed position within the seat stowage pan by means of a locking member. When the seat is in its horizontal use-position, the rear portion of the seat engages the flat surface which stops the seat from further rotation.
Another type of folding seat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,903 which has a retractable seat assembly. The seat assembly moves from the open position to the closed position on bearings. When fully closed, the face portion of the seat member is disposed outwardly from the support to provide an attractive and pleasing appearance. The patentee also emphasizes the advantage of having a retractable seat exposed outwardly, particularly in areas such as gymnasiums where injury to occupants is reduced.
Other types of folding seats, particularly for specialized applications such as aircraft and boats can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,460,215 and 4,916,783, respectively.
Thus, while the prior art shows various types of folding and retractable seats and the prior art even suggests seats in which the cushion portion is disposed outwardly in the folded, non-use position, there nevertheless exists a need for improved bench-type seating which is foldable and which may be used in facilities such as gymnasiums, auditoriums and the like. Many of the prior art seating designs described above are individual seats and not adapted for institutional or commercial installation accommodating a large number of users. There also exists a need for bleacher-type seating configurations which are foldable and which allow users to be positioned at several elevations and which folds into a small envelope which does not interfere with the use of the gymnasium or other area.
Also, the present invention represents an improvement over the prior art in that it provides one or two row seating which folds in contrast to conventional seating which folds only at the third row thereby requiring substantial floor space even when folded.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide bleacher-type seating for areas particularly smaller gymnasiums and the like, which seating will accommodate use by a number of persons and which occupies little space when folded.
It is another object of the present invention to provide foldable bench-type seating which has several seating levels and folds to occupy small floor space.
Another object of the present invention is to provide foldable seating for commercial use which seating is simple in design, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and may be installed and maintained easily.
Another object of the present invention is to provide foldable bleacher-type seating for areas, particularly areas such as gymnasiums which in the folded condition the seat cushions are disposed outwardly for improved appearance and for safety.
It is a specific object of the present invention to provide foldable bleacher seating having one or two seating rows, which seating is particularly suited for smaller public areas such as cafeterias and gymnasiums.